“Ohhhooowwoohh!” The sound jolted us out of the room to investigate this ghostly gasp! The hairs on my arms were standing up like soldiers at attention. I could almost feel my pupils dilate as the adrenaline surged through my veins!
My fearless leadership as the nurse in charge of the Alzheimer’s wing was more like “fear-full” leadership though I tried to appear confident. If anyone could have seen through me like Superman can, they would have seen my liver quiver!
With trepidation I peered down the long corridors. It was as quiet as the night before Christmas. Not a creature was stirring, not even our therapy dog Travis. It was 10 o’clock in the morning, and most of the residents in our assisted living facility memory care unit were taking their “a.m. naps.”
Once again, “OOOOHHHOOWWWWWOO!” sounded out like a wolf howling at the moon! I scanned the halls again and noted three little women asleep on a loveseat.
To my astonishment this horrendous noise was coming from 98 year old Juanita. Juanita weighed as many pounds as years she was old. She never opened her eyes as she howled which added to this eeriness of the setting.
Juanita, Naomi, and Bernie sat squished together like sardines in a can on the loveseat at the end of the hall. This was a frequent snapshot of where I worked on the Alzheimer’s ward. Each one’s head was on the other’s shoulder.
Juanita and the other two snoozers remained undisturbed though the mournful crier had me and two care givers hyper-alert and unnerved!
Now my astute nursing skills came into action. I looked at Juanita. Her lips were pink, she was breathing and her skin was warm. I deduced that she was not dead and this was always a good thing in my profession.
Next, I did a spiritual assessment. “Does she have a demon?” “Is she possessed?” “Can it really be possible for a sweet 98 year old lady to be possessed?” “Anything can happen and it usually does,” I mused.
Again, “OOOHHOOOWWWOOOWHH!!” howled Juanita!
With authority, though trembling, I stepped up to the loveseat with my hand outstretched and commanded the questionable demon to “Be quiet in Jesus name!”
Puzzled, but respectfully, my two staff members stood by my side and just stared at me. I looked at them and thought to myself, “They probably think I am the one who is possessed.” I turned my attention back to Juanita and tried not to think about what they were thinking.
The lady in the middle of the loveseat was Naomi. She resembled a figure on a totem pole; arms crossed over her chest, eyes closed and mouth open, and sat as stiff as wood. She was so close to Juanita it was as though she were welded onto her.
The mystery of this hair-raising howling ended as suddenly as it began.
Naomi, still in her totem position, with eyes remaining closed, tipped ever so slightly to the side and Juanita, as if in slow motion, removed her frail purple hand out from under Naomi’s behind! The moaning was all over; and blood rushed into Juanita’s hand once again!
Now my coworkers and I began howling! We laughed till we hurt and were short of breath! This was definitely a case of “humor in uniform” and I laughed at myself for being “too spiritual for myself!”
MaryBeth Seal is a graduate of “She Speaks” Proverbs 31 Ministry and is available to speak at retreats, conferences, and women’s ministries. Some of her topics include: “Strength Training”, “Anger Management and Boundaries”, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”, “The Valley of Trouble Becomes a Door of Hope.” You may contact her at: mbseal2000@yahoo.com or 269-683-4613.
